RHUS. 
be forced by keeping it under glass, | 
and giving it a little heat, so as to | 
flower at Christmas. 
Ruav's.—Terebinthaéceea, or Ana- 
cardiacee.— Sumach. Deciduous 
shrubs, natives of Europe, Asia, and 
America, interesting from the beau- 
tiful colours which their leaves as- 
sume in dying off in autumn. 
the kinds are more or less poisonous. 
Rhus Cotinus, the Virginian Su- 
mach, is called the Periwig Tree 
both in French and German, from 
the curious appearance of its seed- 
vessels, which look like a powdered | 
wig. It is a very ornamental 
shrub, often growing ten or twelve 
feet high, and flowering abundant- 
ly. It grows best in a dry loam, 
and it is propagated by layers. 
Rhus typhina, the Stag’s-horn Su- 
mach, has received its name from 
the singular appearance of the 
young shoots, which are covered | 
with a soft velvet-like down, resem- 
bling that of a young stag’s horn, 
both in colour and texture. The 
leaves are impari-pinnate, with eight 
or ten pairs of leaflets, and they die 
off of a beautiful purplish red in au- 
cumn. The flowers are produced 
am terminal spikes, and they are suc- 
ceeded by deep purplish-red woolly 
fruit. Rhus giabra, the scarlet Su- 
mach, has red flowers, and rich vel- 
vet-looking dark-scarlet fruit, which | 
becomes crimson as it ripens. Rhus 
vernicifera, the Varnish or Japan 
Sumach, is a greenhouse plant in 
England, but in India, and in Ja- 
pan, it is grown in large plantations, 
for its gum, which issues from the 
tree when wounded, and forms the 
finest varnish in the world. Rhus 
venendta, the Swamp Sumach, or 
Poison-wood, has so virulent a sap 
that it occasions fever and inflam- 
mation in those who cut it down. 
Even touching the plant, or smell- 
ing it, will in many cases produce 
eruptions and swellings all over the 
body. The plant is not very hand- 
All 
the kinds of Rhus are of easy cul- 
350 
RIBES. | 
some, but the leaves become of a 
brillant red in autumn. R. coria- 
ria, the elm-leaved Sumach, and R 
copallina, the gum-copal tree, re- 
semble R. typhina; and R. radi- 
cans, the poison-oak, and R. toxico- 
déndron, the poison-vine, are poison- 
ous plants, natives of North Ameri- 
ca, resembling R. venendta. All 
ture in any loamy soil; and they 
may be all propagated by cuttings 
or layers. Several of the kinds may 
have their branches pegged down, 
and a little earth strewed over them, 
when they will strike root. 
Risson Grass—Arundo Doénaz, 
var. versicolor. 
Ri‘ses.—Grossuldcee.—The Cur- 
rant. The ornamental kinds of 
Ribes which have been introduced 
into British gardens since the com- 
mencement of the present century, 
are now some of our most beautiful 
shrubs. ‘They are all quite hardy, 
and will grow without any trouble 
being taken with them, in any com- 
mon garden-soil. The following 
kinds are those most deserving of 
cultivation for their lowers :—Ribes 
niveum, the snowy flowered goose- 
berry, has white pendulous flowers, 
and dark purple fruit, the flavour of 
which is very agreeable; R. specio- 
sum, the Fuchsia-flowered goose- 
berry, the flowers of which are scar- 
let, with very long projecting sta- 
mens, somewhat resembling those 
of the Fuchsia, and the leaves sub- 
evergreen; KR. spicatum, the tree 
currant, which forms an erect fas- 
tigiate-growing shrub, six or eight 
feet high, with upright spikes of red 
fruit ; R. multiflorum, a most beau- 
tiful plant, with long drooping ra- 
cemes of greenish flowers, and large 
handsome leaves; R. punctdtum, 
an evergreen species, with shining 
leaves and golden yellow flowers, 
which are succeeded by red fruit ; 
R. floridum, the flowering black 
currant, with loose racemes of 
